A Seventy Year Exile – Jeremiah 25

The message of the Lord through Jeremiah to Judah was very clear.  The time for the people to decide who God was to be in their lives was at hand.

⁵ “Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices, and you can stay in the land the Lord gave to you and your ancestors for ever and ever. ⁶ Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”

⁷ “But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord… Jeremiah 25:5-7a (NIV)

As a result of the failure of Judah’s people and their kings to do the right thing, they were facing a seventy-year exile in Babylon – an incarceration of sorts.  God would permit powerful King Nebuchadnezzar to be used as an instrument of discipline and judgment against them, yet later, would punish Babylon for their evil motives while doing so.

¹² “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever.  Jeremiah 25:12 (NIV)

As always, God’s motives were completely holy, just, and pure in the matter.  He longed for His people to turn away from evil and darkness, and to return to His Light.  After years of sending them His prophets, many of whom the people killed, the Lord determined that Judah’s defeat and exile was the only way to save them in the long run.   

⁵ …I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. ⁶ My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. ⁷ I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.  Jeremiah 24:5b-7 (NIV)

The Lord promised that He would watch over and protect His people during their seventy-year exile in Babylon, and regarded them as good despite His judgment. Many of the exiles would gather by a river there to worship Him, something they had not been doing back in their own land.  God emphasized to them that His power and presence were not at all limited by geography.

²³ “Am I only a God nearby,”
declares the Lord,
    “and not a God far away?
²⁴ Who can hide in secret places
    so that I cannot see them?”
declares the Lord.
    “Do not I fill heaven and earth?”
declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NIV)

Many people around the globe are currently facing incarceration.  Most are there because of something they have done in the past.  But geography does not limit the Lord.  He can be found behind prison bars just as easily as on the banks of a river in Babylon, on a remote island anywhere on the globe, or in the deepest part of the universe.  He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, wherever we are.

But what about my past?  Am I doomed to an eternal judgment by the Lord because of the sins or crimes I have committed?

The beauty of God’s Spirit includes a bounty of forgiveness and love for each one of us, no matter where we are or what we have done.  Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is sufficient to wipe away all of our sins, if we will humbly take them before Him to confess and repent of them. If we consider ourselves too evil or refuse to accept that Christ has forgiven all of our sins, we imply that His sacrifice on the cross was insufficient to get the job done.  That is a false belief. 

 ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Notice the word “all” – all unrighteousness. It is not “some”, it is not “most” – God’s word promises that “all” of our unrighteousness will be wiped away when we take them to the cross of Christ.

If we humbly and sincerely confess our sin, and seek to turn away from our sinful acts, He will gladly wipe our slate clean and cover us with pure garments and citizenship in heaven.  All He asks is that we try to do the next right thing, that we love others, and seek to forgive those who have harmed us.  That is not always easy to do, but it is well worth our best efforts.

No one wants to be incarcerated.  But for many, including the people of Judah at the time of their exile, it was the only way to slow them down enough from a lifestyle of death so that they could realize their desperate situation and be preserved. It also provided a way to introduce (or re-introduce) them to the life-giving care of a loving God. 

Whatever situation, or manner of exile, we might find ourselves in today, may we connect with Him, enjoy His presence and peace, and recognize His great love for us. He will bring healing and restoration.

Reflection

What false gods am I clinging to today?  These can be anything that draws our hearts, attentions, and devotion away from the Lord. 

We are all striving for something – what is it?  Has an obsession to achieve something of an earthly nature hardened our heart or crowded out any time or energy for our spirit to seek the Lord? 

Father God, I trust that whatever my situation is today, You are here, You love me, and You want the very best for my life.  Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross to take away all of my sin.  I humbly confess my wrongs and ask for Your help in forgiving those who have hurt me. Reveal to me the areas where I need to trust You more and to surrender my needs to Your care. Remove those things which separate me from You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Have a beautiful, blessed day in the Lord today.